


Only Half of the Story

by DemonsWatchYouSleep6, Sissytobitch10seconds



Series: Mostly Normal [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Racism, Accidents, Ancient Egyptian Deities, Ancient Egyptian Literature & Mythology, Arguing, Aztec, Aztec Gods, Aztec Magic, Aztec Mytholgy, Aztec Myths, Best Friends, Beta Read, Book One, Brothers, Camp Half Blood, Camp Jupiter, Childhood Friends, Connections, Culture Shock, DID - Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dark Magic, Dating, Death, Deities, Depression, Depression Medication, Destined, Diary/Journal, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dreams, Dreamworld, Egyptian Gods, Egyptian Magic, Egyptian Myths, Elementary School, F/F, F/M, Family, Fighting, First Book, Friend Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Funerals, Goddesses, Gods, Greek - Freeform, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Greek Myths, Greek and Roman Mythology - Freeform, Greek gods, Half-Siblings, Hate, Hatred, Healer, High School, Love, Lovers, M/M, Magic, Medication, Mental, Mental Anguish, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mental Illness, Mental Instability, Mentions of Tartarus, Monsters, Multiple Cultures, Mythologies, New Rome, Norse, Norse Magic, Norse Mythology - Freeform, Old Friends, Overprotective Brothers, Pain, Phrophecies, Play Fighting, Play Wrestling, Playing, Post Book: Heroes of Olympus, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Powerful Magician, Prophecy, Quests, References to Aztec Religion & Lore, References to Depression, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Roman Myths, Roman mythology, Romance, Secrets, Self Issued Quest, Series, Shock, Sibling Death, Sibling Love, Siblings, Sister - Freeform, Sisters, Soulmates, Stress, Tartarus, Teenage Dorks, Teenage Drama, Teenage Rebellion, Teenagers, The importance of family, Transfers, Traveling, Utah - Freeform, Valhalla, Valkyries, Very Secret Diary, Viking Death, War, Wrestling, after war, breakdowns, brother, co-authors, connected, death of family members, egyptian, family love, forest, friends - Freeform, japanese myths, mentions of depression, moved, norse gods, overprotective sisters - Freeform, reunited, roman - Freeform, roman gods, secret friends, slight racism, unedited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 05:10:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 15,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14012889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonsWatchYouSleep6/pseuds/DemonsWatchYouSleep6, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sissytobitch10seconds/pseuds/Sissytobitch10seconds
Summary: Though Janus is a purely Roman god, his children tend to reside in the Greek camp, where they can be at peace with their powers. But things are changing, and not necessarily for the better.





	1. (Madeline) Act One, Scene One

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the first Mostly Normal book! These books were on my account, and they were under the pseud of 'Sissytobitch10seconds and hermionegirl13' but now, since Kat has her own account, we deleted them and are posting them under both of our accounts. I hope that you enjoy this story that we spent so much time on. This takes place after the war with Gaea, but we were a bit confused while writing it, so that's not very clear and it becomes kinda watery in some spots. We are currently trying to go through and rewrite this story, while editing it at the same time. I hope you enjoy this version even if it is not as good as the edited version will be.  
> A little background on this: It was originally called Children of Janus, and we were going to have a story about all of the cabin and the children within them save for the big three, but it warped into something else. We also decided that we were going to have Acts and Parts for the Roman gods, (which we remembered Janus was half way through the first book) and then chapters for the Greek on, but this has been changed along with the title of the book. We are planning on doing the Children of ______ after we are done with the Mostly Normal series.  
> That being said: We hope that you enjoy this series and check out some of the other books that we have ready for you.  
> This book is dedicated to TimeTurner13, who is our most dedicated Beta.

_ **OPEN CURTAINS** _

Rio sat on his bed in the Janus cabin staring blankly at a wall, a bottle on antidepressants in his clenched hands. He didn't notice at all when Madeline approached behind him. He watched as another version of what seemed to be her waltzed over to his bed and flopped down, gracefully, as she always did. When she got as close as she could without him noticing, Madeline shouted into his ear; "What on Olympus are you doing?"

**Rio jumped. Then he glared at Madeline. "Stop that," he snapped, "I'm thinking."**

Madeline giggled and then slid onto the floor next to them both. "What are you thinking about?" she said with a curious tone in her normally bored voice.

**Rio rolled his eyes. Madeline could be so annoying sometimes! "I was thinking about camp," he snapped, "you're going back next year, right? I mean, I know we're _at_ our normal camp, but it's almost autumn already." Rio said, meaning that he was talking about Camp Half-Blood as opposed to Camp Jupiter. **

Madeline rolled her own eyes and then said with an irritated growl, "I'm a year round camper, you idiot." Rio rolled his eyes again and stuck his tongue out at her with an upset noise. Rio watched as a version of her stood up and ruffled his hair before sashaying out of the cabin.

**Rio glanced over at the real Madeline, who was still sitting on the floor. She smiled up at him. He smirked and shook his head, putting the little bottle of antidepressants on his bedside table. He'd take those later.**

The door flew open, and Elliot bounded in, covered in sweat and, for some reason, slimy blue muck. The salt water was nearly dripping off of him, his breath was labored and yet he was still dressed in all black. Madeline recoiled as a chunk of baby blue slime dripped off of his pants and onto the cabin floor. "What on Olympus happened to you?" Ara asked from across the room. She placed her book on the bed and scrunched up her nose.

**Elliot glanced down at his slime-covered outfit and grinned, wiping his sweaty forehead. "Chiron wanted me to fight a goo monster in the arena," he said with a shrug, "as you can see it didn't go too well. Now where's my change of clothes?"**

"How about we get you a towel first?" Madeline giggled as she stood up and purposely slid on the already fallen slime as she reached for the cupboard. When she reached it, she picked up a white towel and threw it at her half brother.

**"Hey!" Elliot caught the towel with an even wider grin than before and rubbed it on his white-blond hair, his opposite colored eyes twinkling. Madeline winked her singular hazel eye at him. Little brothers, even half brothers, were fun to tease.  
**

Ara sighed and stood up, and nearly danced around the goo before she found her way to the door. Madeline then slipped and created a crashing noise that both camps must have heard, even though one was on the other side of the U.S. Elliot moved out of the way and continued to rub the goo off of his clothes before he took off his shirt. Madeline shrieked and covered her eyes, "I did not need to see that much of my baby brother. Ever."

**Elliot rolled his eyes and put on a new shirt, this one dark gray. "If you don't want to see me like this, you should go out of the cabin, Maddie. I don't know why this is such a big deal. We used to bath together back at Camp Jupiter," he said. Madeline glared at him, but left anyway. Elliot grinned at Rio, who chuckled.  
**

Suddenly, the door flew open and a young girl, who was wrapped in Ace bandages, came barging, or rather stumbling in. "Are you okay Nora? Why are you wrapped up like that?" Elliot asked as he dodged behind a Chinese curtain to change his pants. Rio giggled a little and began to help his little sister remove the bandages.

**Nora gasped with relief once the last bandage had come off. "Thanks, Rio," the nine-year-old girl said, "one of those idiots from the Mars cabin played a trick on me. Apparently it involved bandages." Elliot snorted with laughter from behind the curtain, and Rio smirked.**

Madeline reentered the cabin with a small blush. Ara looked up from her book and rolled her eyes, knowing the exact reason why her sister was blushing.

**"Why are you blushing Maddie?" Elliot asked as he tried to smooth his hair, which had been sticking up funny where the goo had dried, but to no avail. With a frustrated sigh he said, "Guess I'll have to hit the showers. I just hope no annoying Venus kids are in there, fussing about broken nails and stuff."**

"I have no obligation to tell you anything. And it's noon. You know that all the Venus kids go in there to shower at noon," Madeline said with another eye roll. If anyone that was not from the Janus cabin spent the night there they would die. Murder from eye rolling.

**Elliot groaned. "Crap," he muttered, "I'll have to wait until after lunch."**

"Lunch?" Rio and two Aras asked with a pleased expression. Madeline slipped on some of the leftover slime that had been left on the floor. Elliot burst out laughing, which earned him a glare from Madeline.

**"Yes, lunch," said Elliot, blushing, "the conch horn should be blowing any minute." at that moment, the Janus kids heard the sound of the conch horn. Elliot grinned. "See?" he asked, looking smug, "am I good or am I good?"**

"Dad wouldn't want you to say something that stupid," Madeline muttered as she raced the rest of her siblings out of the cabin and up to the dining pavilion.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Bookmarks and Kudos are always accepted and welcomes <3


	2. (Elliot) Act One, Scene Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of these chapters are going to be super short. I apologize about that, remember that this was the first book that we wrote together.

**Elliot pretended not to hear his half-sister's jibe as they sat down at the new Janus table and waited for Chiron's usual speech to begin as it did before every meal that they had. The magnificent centaur stood up to his full height and smiled at all the campers.  
**

The Janus table became dead quiet as he began to speak, "Tonight, if any of you want to stay for the rest of the year, you must inform me before dinner." All of the siblings at the far back table looked at Madeline, who blushed and began playing with her food.

**"What?" she mumbled to her siblings, "I don't understand why you're all staring at me! By Jupiter, I'm going to kill you all if you give me that look again. At least tell me why?"**

"You stay here over the winter right?" Ara asked with an adorable tone. Madeline nodded and then cocked her head to the side.

**"I guess I should tell Chiron, then," the seventeen-year-old camper said. She got up reluctantly from the table and walked up to the front with a few other campers to tell Chiron they were staying. Elliot shared a conspiratorial look with Rio, who winked and grinned. The two boys had managed to tape a piece of paper to their half-sister's back that said 'if lost, return to Fred' and a bunch of carefully drawn and shaded hearts. When campers all around saw this paper, they snickered and whispered to their cabin mates about it. Madeline didn't seem to notice anything strange.**

Finally Lorelai, a large camper from the Ares cabin, approached her and picked her up, swinging her over her shoulder as if she weighed nothing. Madeline blushed and squirmed a bit before she shrieked and closed her eyes. Lorelai placed her into the child of Athena's lap, following the sign to the dollar. Over at the Janus table, Rio and Elliot were laughing so hard that tears were streaming down their faces. Madeline opened her eyes slightly and blushed before she jumped off Fred's lap and ran out of the dining pavilion.

**Fred himself looked embarrassed. "Why did you do that, Lorelai?" he asked the daughter of Ares, who snickered and winked.**

**"There was a note on her back," Lorelai giggled, and went back to her seat at the Ares table, where her cabin mates chortled along with her. Rio and Elliot high-fived each other, and Nora was laughing so hard she almost fell off the bench. Ara just rolled her eyes and turned back to Chiron, who was smiling faintly and waiting for the screams of mirth to settle down.**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Bookmarks and Kudos are always welcomed and accepted! <3


	3. (Madeline) Act One, Scene Three

Outside of the dining pavilion, Madeline ran for her cabin. When she reached it, there were streams of tears rolling down her face. She jumped into her bed and began to sob. _How could they do that to me?_ She thought, _They know that I cannot stand being embarrassed!_

**How had her brothers even known she'd had a crush on Fred? She ripped the paper from the back of her Camp Jupiter T-shirt and stared at it in disgust, crumpling it up and tossing it into the wastepaper basket.**

"Madeline?" A voice from the doorway asked, "Can I come in?" The voice was deep and gruff, it was most likely male. Madeline sat up and then gasped as none other then Fred came and sat down next to the tearful girl on her bed.

**Madeline felt herself blush again. ARGH. Why did she do that so much, especially in front of her crush? She looked down at her lap, her bubblegum-pink hair falling in her face as she tried to hide her embarrassment.**

"Why did your brothers do that to you?" Fred asked as one of his hands drifted to her back. He began to rub soothing circles on her back, as if it would soothe her breathing.

**"They're mean," Madeline sniffled, way too aware of Fred's hand on her back, "They tease me unmercifully. It's unfair."**

Fred hummed as Madeline sucked in a shaky breath, she looked up at him. She knew her father would be proud of her as she chose between yes and no. She straightened her back and tilted her face as she connected their lips.

**Fred seemed surprised, but he didn't move away. Madeline thought she heard a tiny voice inside her head, _Good choice._ Madeline fought a smile as she thought back, _Thanks, Dad_. **

When she separated from him, she looked at the taller demigod. When Fred saw the fear of rejection in her eyes, something inside of his heart snapped. He leaned down and kissed her again.

**"Maddie...oh, um, hi Fred," said a voice from the doorway. Madeline and Fred broke apart again, and Madeline felt her cheeks grow warm again. Rio was standing in the doorway, looking embarrassed at intruding on this particular moment.**

"I'd better go." Fred said getting up off of her bed. Before he left, he placed a note on her bed. She picked it up and turned to her siblings.

**Nora, who had just turned up with a slice of cake on a plate, stared curiously at her older half sister as Madeline read the note. 'Meet me at Zeus' Fist tomorrow morning' it said. Madeline smiled and folded up the note, sticking it into her pocket. Then she accepted the cake from Nora with a goofy little smile.**

Ara looked confused as she entered the cabin. "What's going on here? Oh my gods. The tension is so thick that even pipsqueak over here could cut it." Rio and Elliot snickered and raced out of the cabin, leaving only the female children of Janus.

**Ara gave Madeline a weird look, and the seventeen-year-old realized she was still grinning. She blushed and started playing with a strand of pink hair, and Ara rolled her eyes.**

"I hate you all," she declared before she walked over to her bed and flopped down, grabbing a book off the small bookshelf.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Bookmarks, and Kudos are always accepted and welcomed. <3


	4. (Fred) Act One, Scene One

**Fred was still reeling from his kissing episode with Madeline, but he decided not to say anything to his cabin mates. They would just tease him for all eternity, and Fred could live without that. When he reached Cabin 6, he took a deep breath and forced himself to act natural, opening the door and letting himself in.**

When he entered the cabin, it was quiet per the usual. There was some rustling of papers and books that disturbed the silence, but that was it. He took another deep breath and headed over to his bed. He gently sat down and thought over what had happened. He gasped as he realized that he was to meet Madeline in three minutes.

**Fred had no choice but to stand up and walk right back out the door again. On his way out, one of his half-sisters gave him a weird look, but didn't say anything (much to his relief). Fred bit his lip, wondering what he would say to Madeline once he found her at Zeus' Fist.**

Madeline bounced on her heels and played with her power-suppressor that took the form of a bracelet. She was wearing jeans and a purple Camp Jupiter T-shirt, though to Fred, she looked prettier than Aphrodite herself (not that he would ever say it aloud of course. Aphrodite would probably blast him to bits if she knew).He approached the girl of his dreams with a smile on his face, "Hey, Maddie. Have you been waiting long?"

**Madeline smiled and shook her head. "No," she said, "only a couple of minutes. But I came early, so you're on time. Don't worry about it."  
**

"That's good. I wanted to ask you a question," Fred said, he could hear his heartbeat in his ears.

**Madeline's two-toned eyes widened, and she blushed. "Yes?" she mumbled quietly, "What do you want to tell me?"**

"Do you, uh," Fred stuttered. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbed and Madeline thought, _How cute, he's nervous!_ "Would you be my girlfriend?" He finished in a rush.

**Madeline blinked, surprised at his question. Fred crossed his fingers, hoping, hoping... "Yes," Madeline breathed, "I'd love to."**

"Yes!" the son of Athena yelled. He placed his arms around the magical girl's waist before he picked her up and swung her in a circle.

**Madeline laughed, and Fred put his new girlfriend down, breathless with excitement. He smiled at her. He liked how her laugh sounded. It was really pretty. Madeline smiled back and threw her arms around him. He did the same. Madeline sighed, content now.  
**

**_ END OF ACT ONE _ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Bookmarks, and Kudos are always welcomed and accepted. <3


	5. (Ara) Act Two, Scene One

Ara looked up at the stars as a blue lightning bug landed next to her. She giggled and said, "Hi, Genofafa. Are you going to turn human any time soon?"

**The firefly blinked three times. Ara smiled at it. "Oh, Genofafa," she said, "you're so _cute_! Stop blinking like that, you make me want to eat you or something!" The lightning bug abruptly stopped blinking, and Ara laughed. "Only joking."**

Suddenly, instead of a lightning bug sitting on the roof with her, there was a blue-haired girl with large feathered wings. "So you finally decided to come and visit me? I was so lonely. You are my only friend." Ara said as she wrapped her arms around the older girl.

**The blue-haired girl looked concerned. "You have your siblings, Ara," she said in a silvery sort of voice, "aren't they your friends?"**

**Ara shook her head. "I hate them," she muttered, "They're so mean to me."**

Genofafa smiled, "And you know the reason that I never visit is because I have work. I am lead Valkyrie after all." Her voice soothed Ara. The small girl leaned into the other, humming slightly.

**Ara sighed, content at last. "You should quit your job and live with me, Gen," she said, stroking her friend's feathery wings, "I hate everyone at camp. Except maybe Chiron, but that's not my point. I'm just so _lonely_!"**

"I cannot quit my job! I have sworn my life to the all father. I am sorry that you are lonely. Do you have someone at your camp named Annabeth?" The Valkyrie asked, shivering at the touch on her sensitive wings.

**"Annabeth?" Ara thought for a moment. "Isn't she that Athena girl who ran around with Percy Jackson a few years back? Like, blond hair, gray eyes, super smart and architect?"  
**

Genofafa giggled and said through her heavily accented voice, "Yes, that is a valid description. Does she still go to your camp?" She asked as she rearranged the position that they were sitting in.

**Ara glanced over at the Athena cabin a ways off and nodded. "She's a counselor for the cabin now," she said, "partnered with Fred Callahan. I've always thought she's too old to be friends with me. I mean, I'm only fifteen."  
**

"And I am not? I am hundreds of years older than you!" The blue haired girl joked, "On a more serious note, I need to tell the Chase girl that her cousin died and joined us. Do you mind if I stay with you overnight?" Genofafa said with a smile that could have been blinding from the wrong angle.

**Ara grinned despite Genofafa's sad news. "Of course," she exclaimed, "thank you. You can sleep in my bed, I'll take the floor..." her voice trailed off as Genofafa shook her head.**

**"Is that the wisest choice, daughter of Janus?" the Valkyrie asked sternly, "Would your father approve of this choice?" Ara blushed.**

**"It's a tiny little choice, Genofafa," she protested, "it won't make any difference!"**

"It would to you," the blue-haired Valkyrie said with a frown, "I refuse to see my friend be kicked out of her own bed. What if I showed you how to sleep under the stars?" she asked with a twinkle in her milky white eyes.

**Ara considered this for a second, glancing up at the sky to make sure the camp wasn't due for a rain shower any time soon. Then she nodded. "I don't want to sleep with my siblings anyway," she said with a shrug, flopping down on the roof with a smile. Genofafa giggled and lay down next to her, folding her wings tightly against her sides.**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Bookmarks, and Kudos are always welcomed and accepted. <3


	6. (Ara) Act Two, Scene Two

When the next day arrived, both girls slid off of the roof and headed for the Athena cabin before breakfast. As they walked, the campers that were up and mingling in the autumn air stared at them. There were whispers everywhere. Till finally a satyr approached the duo and asked, "Ara, who is this?"

**Ara glanced at her companion, who smiled and nodded. Ara smiled back and turned to the satyr. "This is my Valkyrie friend, Genofafa. She needs to speak with Annabeth Chase urgently."**

"What the heck is a Valkyrie?" the satyr asked, not moving a muscle out of the way. Ara opened her mouth to speak, but was cut short by Genofafa.

"I have this." Genofafa said placing her arm in front of her best friend. "A Valkyrie is a female who pledges herself to the All Father." She explained with a voice as rich as cream.

**The satyr contemplated this new fact for a moment, then reluctantly stepped aside. "Fine," he said, though Ara got the feeling he didn't really understand, "go ahead. Annabeth is in the arena right now with Chiron, practicing her archery for the day."**

**Ara nodded. "Thanks," she said, and she and Genofafa started walking towards the arena.**

When they reached the arena, Chiron turned, when he saw Genofafa, who had her wings spread comfortably along her back, he dropped his bow. "You, child. You have died. You died when the war against the Christians took place. You are not supposed to be here."

Genofafa nodded sadly and then said, "I am aware of this fact, great sir. But I need to speak with your student, Annabeth Chase. I do hope my presence does not cause too much harm to the splitting of the Pagans."

**Chiron looked at Annabeth, who had just knocked an arrow and was staring at the blue-haired, winged girl with annoyance. Chiron put a hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. The blond girl nodded and lowered her bow and arrow reluctantly. "What is it?" she asked, sounding annoyed but resigned.**

"Annabeth Chase? Are you aware of the fact that you have a cousin in Boston?" Genofafa asked, her voice switching from apologetic to businesslike. Annabeth nodded, which the Valkyrie took as a sign to continue, "then I regret to inform you that he has passed on. He has joined my fellow einherjar in Valhalla."

**Ara looked at her friend, confused. "Valhalla?" she asked, "Is that like the Underworld or something? Maybe Tartarus?"**

"Odin's eye no! Valhalla is where fallen warriors go to serve Odin or the All Father until the day that Ragnarok, or the end of the world comes. Your cousin is in good hands," Genofafa said before turning on her heel, dragging her friend along with her.

**Annabeth's gray eyes widened, and she dropped her bow altogether. "He's dead?" she whispered, looking to Chiron nervously. The old centaur hung his head and nodded.**

**"What the Valkyrie says is truth," he said, his hand still on the daughter of Athena's shoulder. A single tear fell from Annabeth's gray eyes and she blinked hard to keep any more tears from escaping. She could hardly believe it.**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Bookmarks, and Kudos are always welcomed and accepted


	7. (Ara) Act Two, Scene Three

"Why did you just leave her there?" Ara asked, "You just told her that her cousin died and then walked away!" the child of Janus said with utter disgust.

"What do you mean? He has come back. He has a new body, he will be fine. He has eternal life now," Genofafa said. Ara face-palmed and took a deep breath.

"I- I think you should go," Ara said, "You don't belong here." Genofafa stood there for a moment and then nodded sadly before she spread her wings to full length and took off into the sky, leaving nothing but a sobbing Ara and swirling leaves behind.

**A hand rested on Ara's shaking shoulder. She looked up and found none other than Elliot, looking alarmed. "What's up Ara?" he asked. Ara looked at him and realized he was holding a towel under his arm.**

**"I'm going to take a shower," her half-brother explained, pointing at his stiff, baby-blue-goo-covered hair. Ara managed a small smile and nodded, unable to say anything. Elliot gave her a final pat on the shoulder and walked off towards the showers.**

Ara nodded and headed back to the cabin, her head down low and her shoulders slumped. "What have I done?" she asked herself as she split into two different people. One of the Aras was sad and rather depressed, the other held her head high, as though she ruled the camp. Whenever the daughter of Janus felt strong emotion this would happen. They both headed back to the cabin.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, Bookmarks, and Kudos are always welcomed and accepted. <3


	8. (Ara) Act Two, Scene Four

**Both versions of Ara sighed once they entered the Janus cabin and forced themselves to compact into one girl again. This Ara was both miserable and proud, and she didn't have a clue why. But emotions sometimes came randomly to her, which was another mystery no one had ever bothered to solve.**

**"ARA!"**

**Ara's head snapped up. She looked out the window. Madeline and Fred were running towards the cabin, panicked looks on their faces. Right behind them was a weird bull thing. Ara vaguely remembered Madeline saying she'd run into a bull thing yesterday. Ara jumped off her bed and rummaged under her half-sister's bed. Underneath the bed, pushed to the very back wall, was Lonna. Ara smirked and pulled the long sword out from under Madeline's bed. The celestial bronze blade shone in the morning sunlight as Ara opened the window and jumped out, grabbing her own bow, named Kahlo, from her nightstand as she went.**

She sprinted to her sister and split into two different people, this time on purpose. Though she hated doing it in front of people as they called her a freak for it, but this time it was an emergency. Madeline yelled a quick 'thanks' before she started to slash at the beast with all of her might. Ara knocked an arrow and shot. Kahlo gave a twanging sound as the imperial gold string snapped. Ara ran, breathing heavily as the bull stopped chasing after Fred and redirected its attacks towards her. She dodged the first couple, but by the time that it charged for her the sixth time, she was so out of energy that she fell under it. When Madeline stabbed the beast, it fell on top of the smaller daughter of Janus. Ara could feel what felt like her life force slowly slipping out from her, she looked up at the clouds, above was a pacing Valkyrie. Ara smiled knowing that at least the last thing that she would see before she died, was her first and best friend. Ara felt the last of her energy drain from her body and her eyes fluttered closed.

**The last thing Ara heard was Madeline's sob. "Ara, no!" then a sheet of blackness came over her, and she felt herself float away to who knows where.**

Madeline sank to her knees and began to cry. Fred came over to her and placed his arms around her. He picked her up and carried her to the infirmary, where he let the children of Apollo look her over. Rio came racing out of the cabin, his face as pale as a blank piece of paper. Lorelai came over and threw the bull off of the fifteen-year-old girl's lifeless body. Elliot appeared out of the showers, his hair still dripping wet, he was shirtless as well. He glanced up into the sky just in time to see Ara's Valkyrie friend disappear with a transparent figure in tow.

 


	9. (Ara) Act Two, Scene Five

**Elliot realized what was happening and his smile disappeared. He glanced at his older sister's lifeless body and fell to his own knees, his face turning as white as Rio's. "No," he whispered.**

Rio sucked in a shaky breath as he felt a pair of strong, sturdy arms wrap around him. Elliot let a gentle tear slip down his face as the children of Athena were alerted to start weaving and embroidering a burial shroud for Ara. Nora walked over to her older sister's limp body. She fell to her knees, "May-maybe I can save her! I could create more living cells and-and," the young girl stuttered out.

Elliot walked over to her, "Nora, you have to let the dead stay dead. I'm sorry honey," He said this in the most comforting way that he could.

Rio openly let tears flow down his face as he moved over to his other siblings. Madeline was bawling, but stable, when she came down the hill. "This is all my fault. If-if I had been able to help you sooner, then maybe you would still be here with us." she said before several Apollo children approached them with a stretcher.

They lifted the lifeless corpse onto it and carried her away. Everyone eventually decided to leave the sobbing Janus kids alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are so, so sorry to our precious baby.


	10. (Madeline) Act Two, Scene Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kat couldn't handle writing this chapter, so it's only me. I hope you all enjoy a funeral as much as you can.

That night, they pushed the funeral shroud into the flames. The cloth was embroidered with white wings on the left side and black books on the other. The Athena children hid their calloused hands, most of said calluses having been ripped off while embroidering the lovely cloth. Everyone was silent. Until Madeline stepped forward.

"Ara, I'm so, so sorry. If I had been there for you, like a good older sister should be, then you may not have died. If I had taken my responsibility more seriously then maybe you would still be here. Heck, if I had re-thought that last attack then you would still be here." Madeline spoke to the fire, which crackled even louder when she finished.

Elliot stepped forward next, "Ara, if I had been there to help you then I would have been able to save you. I know that we were awful to you, but I never ever wanted something as awful as that to happen to you. You were my big sister, oh Pluto you still are. I want you to make it to wherever you want to go in the underworld because the gods know you deserve it." When he finished speaking, his shoulders were shaking so hard from the tears streaking down his face that it looked like he was shivering.

Rio and Nora both stepped forward next, though instead of talking, they began to sing,

" _Lay down, your sweet and dreary head._

_Night is falling,_

_You have come to journeys end._

_Sleep now, and dream of the ones who came before_

_They are calling from across a distant shore_

_Why do you weep?_

_What are these tears upon your face?_

_Soon you will see,_

_all of your fears will pass away,_

_safe in my arms_

_You're only sleeping_

_What can you see on the horizon?_

_Why do the white ghosts call?_

_Across the sea a pale moon rises,_

_The ships have come to carry you home,_

_And all will turn to silver glass,_

_A light on the water,_

_All souls pass._

_Hope, fate until the world of night,_

_Through shadows falling,_

_Out of memory and time,_

_Don't say, "we have come now to the end."_

_White shores are calling,_

_You and I will meet again,_

_And you'll be here in my arms, just sleeping,_

_What can you see, on the horizon?_

_Why do the white ghosts call?_

_Across the sea a pale moon rises,_

_The ships have come to carry you home,_

_And all will turn to silver glass,_

_A light on the water,_

_gray ships pass into the west."_

The song was choked out as if it was painful, the children of Janus did not have Apollo-like voices, but that did not make the song any less meaningful. Madeline sobbed like a small child as she leaned into Fred, his shirt was now soaked with tears.

Nora and Rio had both collapsed at some point during the song. All around the camp, even the demigods that had been to shell shocked about the death of a camper within the camp to come to the funeral, were crying. The heartfelt sobs filled the air, making a depressed atmosphere encase the normally loud and happy camp.

_ **END OF ACT TWO** _


	11. (Rio) Act Three, Scene One

**Rio was really feeling the aftershock of his sister's death. He tried to stem the tears falling down his face but they just kept coming. He ran back to the cabin and threw himself onto his bed, crying into his pillow.**

**After a while of crying, Rio took a shaky breath and forced himself to get up off his bed. He fished out the antidepressants that he had tossed under his dresser a couple of days before and popped the lid. He fished a pill out of the little bottle and put it in his mouth, washing it down with water. Then he sighed and stood up again, glancing toward what used to be Ara's bed. Her book was still lying there, forgotten, never to be picked up by the fifteen-year-old girl again. Rio bit his lip. Should he?**

He slowly walked over to the bed and picked up the brittle book, inside there was a smaller book concealed with black ink. He picked up the crumbling cover before he sat down on the floor next to his deceased half-sister's bed. He flipped it open to the first page, it read.

_Why did I do that? Why did they all scream like that? It's not like I would hurt them. I hate being like this. I wish that I could tell my siblings. Would they reject me like everyone else did?_

Rio felt a gentle tear slip down his cheek. She really did love them, she was just scared of being rejected. Like they all were. But now she was gone and there was nothing that the small boy could do about it.

**Rio let out a half-frustrated, half-sad breath and turned the page. Maybe he could figure out what Ara had been talking about?**

**_My mother knows something I don't, I can tell,_ the entry read, _but she won't tell me anything. I've asked her about my father for years but she always evades the question in one way or another. I'm getting desperate. I'll have to do_ _something,_ _and soon. But what?_ **

_My headaches have been getting worse as of late. I asked the medicine maker if it was normal, he said he didn't know. The fifth Cohort stinks. But the good news is that I got claimed as a child of Janus, meaning that I could always transfer back to the Greek Camp with my newfound siblings. Though I am a bit weary of that Chiron character._

_I finally moved into the Janus cabin, they do things quite differently from back home. I almost wish I could go back. But, on the upside I met someone on the roof my first night here. Her name is Genofafa. She said that the Janus cabin's magic always attracted her to it, so she spends her free time on the roof. She's a Valkyrie. From Norse Mythology. She said that there were many others out there away. Chiron never informed us about this. I wonder what else he's been hiding from us._

_**I wish there was an easier way to find out. But as there isn't, I will have to do this the hard way. I am not happy about it, and if I told my siblings I am sure they would be crushed. I am going to have to die. But when? And how? I only hope it is painless. Or, at least, not worse than the pain I am already in at losing my mother.** _

**Rio blinked. He hadn't known Ara's mother had died! This was all new, overloading him with information he hadn't known before.**

 


	12. (Rio) Act Three, Scene Two

Rio took a shaky breath and stood up. He placed the journal back within the other book and placed it back on her bed. He took several more shaky breaths before he managed to leave the cabin. Outside, there was a congregation of the Big Three's children. Thalia Grace, Percy Jackson and Nico di Angelo all sat near a large aspen tree that was planted directly outside of the Janus cabin. Thalia was asleep, but the boys were talking. At first Rio had not been happy that the cabin was so close to the woods, but it was the perfect place for snooping.

**"Dad says there's nothing I can do," Nico was saying, "which is weird, because I can usually do things like this. But I guess I didn't know her too well. Maybe that's it."**

**Percy sighed. "Maybe, Nico," he said, "but I don't know. It could be something else. Ask your dad. He'll know."**

**"Maybe." Nico looked doubtful, but he stood up anyway. Rio noticed that the boy was taller than he had been the last time Rio had seen him. The son of Hades sheathed his black sword, which for some reason had been sitting out, and sighed.**

**"Percy," he said, "thanks for talking to me. I appreciate it."**

**Percy shrugged. "No problem. I'll be in the ocean if you need me." and with that, he stood up as well and walked toward the beach. Nico stood there, watching him for a moment, then sighed and walked in the other direction, towards the Big House. Probably to talk to Chiron or something. Rio had no clue how the boy would talk to his father, and was about to follow when he remembered: Nico's dad was Hades. The god of the Underworld. Rio shivered and crept back to the Janus cabin, wondering if he'd made the right choice.**

As Rio reentered the cabin he noticed that there was a sniffling lump lying on his bed. "Madeline?" He asked as he approached the lump. "Are you okay, big sis?" He only used that nickname on special occasions, now being one of them.

Madeline continued to cry, and as Rio got closer he could feel himself drifting into another reality. 

 


	13. (Rio) Act Three, Scene Three

_He stood on the edge of the forest watching as his sisters and Fred attacked the beast that had killed Ara. Madeline made a lunge and then moved to the other side in one fluid motion, stabbing the beast from the other side. The bull fell on the other side of Ara, just barely missing her._

_Madeline rushed to her younger half-sister, "Are you okay?" Ara nodded and then walked off. The dream shifted to that night._

_"I'm sorry," Ara whispered before she picked up an arrow, she dipped it in a green liquid that made a sizzling noise. She then pressed it to her chest._

_"NO!" Rio shouted, lifting his hand up._ _**He couldn't do anything about it, though, and the poisoned arrow entered his sister's chest, right where her heart was. The sharp point entered her skin as easily as a knife through butter, and she gave a sharp gasp. "I'm sorry," she repeated, "It had to be done. I had to know for myself whether this is true." and she slumped to her bed, lifeless once again. Rio felt the tears coursing down his cheeks; the death of his sister was jarring enough once, but to see it happen a second time, in a different way? It was downright cruel. Rio couldn't bear it.**_

**Rio blinked and was back in the Janus cabin, in reality. He was now right next to Madeline, who was starting to calm down a little, but was still crying. Rio managed a small smile. "You're on my bed, Maddie," he whispered, trying to tease, but he just couldn't muster humor right now.**

Rio fell to his knees and began to stroke his older sister's bubble gum pink hair, trying to soothe her though it did not seem to be working. "Is it my fault?" She asked with a quiet sob.

"I-I, no, it's not." Rio said unable to tell his half sister what he had seen.

 


	14. (Rio) Act Three, Scene Four

**Suddenly, Madeline's other personality, the one she rarely used except when she was really and truly upset, kicked in. "Rio, Rio, the sun is shining!" she squealed like a little girl, "Let's go make leaf piles!"**

**Rio blinked. He'd never gotten used to this abrupt change between his seventeen-year-old half-sister's real, bored/sad person and this surreal, overly happy six-or-seven-year-old person. Rio sighed and patted her hair again, standing up slowly. "No," he said, gently but firmly, "this is not a day for leaf piles, Maddie."**

"Well why not?" she said with a bright smile.

"Because, you little bitch, she died today," Elliot shouted from outside, sounding tearful himself. Rio frowned. His siblings' worst personalities were coming out today. Elliot never swore in any of his other personalities.

"Nora says she wants to cry," the small nine-year-old girl said from underneath her bed. Rio groaned and ran out of his cabin, heading for the Big House.

**He'd had enough of this. Even though he could feel his own worst personality kicking in, which was the worst of all of them, he tried to push it down, deep where it could not surface.**

**Rio was so focused on trying to stay himself when he nearly bumped into someone. He skidded to a halt and found himself face-to-face with none other than Nico di Angelo! Rio's mismatched eyes widened, and he blushed.**

**"Sorry, Nico," he muttered, "I'm kind of distracted today."**

**Nico shrugged, looking rather distracted himself. "It's okay, Rio," he said, "I heard about your sister's death. Did you know my own sister died when I was ten?"**

**Rio gasped. He hadn't heard. Nico's face twisted into a sad smile. "Yeah," he said, "she was killed on a quest. Percy tried to protect her, but she was just so stubborn she went and got herself killed anyway." he shrugged one black-clad shoulder. Rio nodded and swallowed. "Don't...don't you have powers to bring back the dead, though?" he asked, rather boldly, "I mean, being the son of Hades and all..."**

**Nico sighed. "I tried," he said softly, "Trust me, I tried to bring her back. She came to me and said she didn't _want_ to come back, she told me to stop trying to bring her back. Eventually, I did stop, but her death still pained me. She had been my only companion for my whole life, did you know that?"**

**Rio shook his head, feeling rather shocked about all of this, but also a little relieved. Now that he knew they both had dead sisters, he could tell Nico everything and the teenager would know how to help him cope...wouldn't he?**

Nico cocked an eyebrow and looked at Rio, who had turned as pale as a ghost. "Rio? Are you okay?" He asked. Rio suddenly fell to his knees and started giggling like a madman. No, NO. This wasn't happening. He couldn't come out. This couldn't happen. No. Not again.

**Rio tried to push the personality back inside him, but now that it was out it wasn't going anywhere. Rio giggled harder. Nico looked at him in alarm and stepped backwards. Inwardly Rio felt helpless as his own worst personality exploded, doubling him over with crazy laughter.**

"Rio, Rio, what's going on?" Nico asked with a scared tone. Rio giggled again, his hands wandered to the top of his head, his fingers threading into his bright red hair.

The scariest thing about his least favorite personality was, the only person that had been able to sooth it was Ara, and she wasn't there. She never would be again. 

 


	15. (Rio) Act Three, Scene Five

**Suddenly, Madeline's other personality, the one she rarely used except when she was really and truly upset, kicked in. "Rio, Rio, the sun is shining!" she squealed like a little girl, "Let's go make leaf piles!"**

**Rio blinked. He'd never gotten used to this abrupt change between his seventeen-year-old half-sister's real, bored/sad person and this surreal, overly happy six-or-seven-year-old person. Rio sighed and patted her hair again, standing up slowly. "No," he said, gently but firmly, "this is not a day for leaf piles, Maddie."**

"Well why not?" she said with a bright smile.

"Because, you little bitch, she died today," Elliot shouted from outside, sounding tearful himself. Rio frowned. His siblings' worst personalities were coming out today. Elliot never swore in any of his other personalities.

"Nora says she wants to cry," the small nine-year-old girl said from underneath her bed. Rio groaned and ran out of his cabin, heading for the Big House.

**He'd had enough of this. Even though he could feel his own worst personality kicking in, which was the worst of all of them, he tried to push it down, deep where it could not surface.**

**Rio was so focused on trying to stay himself when he nearly bumped into someone. He skidded to a halt and found himself face-to-face with none other than Nico di Angelo! Rio's mismatched eyes widened, and he blushed.**

**"Sorry, Nico," he muttered, "I'm kind of distracted today."**

**Nico shrugged, looking rather distracted himself. "It's okay, Rio," he said, "I heard about your sister's death. Did you know my own sister died when I was ten?"**

**Rio gasped. He hadn't heard. Nico's face twisted into a sad smile. "Yeah," he said, "she was killed on a quest. Percy tried to protect her, but she was just so stubborn she went and got herself killed anyway." he shrugged one black-clad shoulder. Rio nodded and swallowed. "Don't...don't you have powers to bring back the dead, though?" he asked, rather boldly, "I mean, being the son of Hades and all..."**

**Nico sighed. "I tried," he said softly, "Trust me, I tried to bring her back. She came to me and said she didn't _want_ to come back, she told me to stop trying to bring her back. Eventually, I did stop, but her death still pained me. She had been my only companion for my whole life, did you know that?"**

**Rio shook his head, feeling rather shocked about all of this, but also a little relieved. Now that he knew they both had dead sisters, he could tell Nico everything and the teenager would know how to help him cope...wouldn't he?**

Nico cocked an eyebrow and looked at Rio, who had turned as pale as a ghost. "Rio? Are you okay?" He asked. Rio suddenly fell to his knees and started giggling like a madman. No, NO. This wasn't happening. He couldn't come out. This couldn't happen. No. Not again.

**Rio tried to push the personality back inside him, but now that it was out it wasn't going anywhere. Rio giggled harder. Nico looked at him in alarm and stepped backwards. Inwardly Rio felt helpless as his own worst personality exploded, doubling him over with crazy laughter.**

"Rio, Rio, what's going on?" Nico asked with a scared tone. Rio giggled again, his hands wandered to the top of his head, his fingers threading into his bright red hair.

The scariest thing about his least favorite personality was, the only person that had been able to sooth it was Ara, and she wasn't there. She never would be again. 

 


	16. (Everyone) Act Six, Scene Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending is rushed and sucks really hardcore, and I apologize for that. But it will be better once we finally release the edited version. I hope you enjoy regardless.

Elliot hummed as he walked away from his siblings, after seeing his sister, he felt as though he was walking on clouds. Quinn stood next to him smiling as he watched his friend dance around him with glee. "Are you ready to head back to your camp now?"

Elliot grinned and nodded. He then walked around to the front of Quinn and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. Quinn took a deep breath and then took off, gliding through the air, spreading flakes of dark magic onto the ground below.

When they made it back to camp, it had gone from day to night, though Elliot thought that whenever he was around Quinn, the night seemed to come faster.

When they landed, there were several campers gathered around a stage muttering excitedly, Elliot grabbed Quinn's wrist and dragged him into the vibrating crowd. "What's going on?" he asked to no one in particular.

Suddenly there was a large popping sound and, Rio and three other thirteen-year-old boys appeared on the stage. Elliot felt strangely drawn to them. He glanced over at Quinn, who had a serious expression on his face.

Elliot then thought, _Screw it_ , and ran up to the stage, still dragging the child of Lilith behind him. When he reached the stage there was another flash of light and Ara stood there, her Valkyrie friend, Genofafa stood next to her. Elliot pulled Quinn up onto the stage, though there wasn't that much of a struggle.

When all of the children were on stage, Chiron approached. He too, clambered onto the wooden platform. Taka and Salvador stood back, but Elliot and Rio had their, 'confident' personality out. Hakizimana stood next to Rio, so close that their shoulders were touching.

"Demigods of Camp Half-Blood, we feel as though the gods have robbed you of something, very, very important," Elliot shouted, "we want you to know that other gods from separate cultures do exist!"

Taka stepped forward and placed a hand on Rio's shoulder, Salvador followed after him. "We have found that we children of Janus, as well as Salvador, are linked to certain cultures that are not our own. We have brought you one demigod, or mage, from every single culture that we know of, so please listen to them as they speak!" Rio continued after his brother.

Taka then took a deep breath and stepped forward, "I am Taka Hamari, of what you would call Japan. I am the worshiper of the goddess, Bishamon, or Bishamonten. She is the guardian of the North, she is one of the Seven Gods of Luck, I am also a river spirit." Taka finished, bowing before stepping back to join Salvador and Rio.

Hakizimana stepped forward and immediately launched into speech, "I am Hakizimana Amina. I am an exiled Egyptian magician. I follow the path of Ra, the sun god."

Quinn smiled and laughed a little when Elliot pushed him forward, "My name is Quinn Nightingale. I am a child of Lilith, the goddess of the night, as well as demons."

Ara took Genofafa by the arm and they stepped forward together, the crowd gasped, for they had not realized that the previously deceased girl had appeared on the stage. There was a shout from the audience and a seventeen-year-old with bubble gum pink hair surged forward. Madeline grabbed her siblings and hugged them all. Nora was on stage as well, though no one was sure how she had gotten there.

The children of Janus hugged and then there was a pause in the crowd, "Don't you ever leave again." Madeline whispered to her brothers, before she kissed the top of Ara's head. She pulled back and grabbed Nora's hand before she released it and hopped off of the stage and melting back into the crowd with her sister, "Demigods, I know that my reappearance may be very confusing for some of you," Ara started. She took a deep breath and then continued, "I have indeed died. But there is a place called Valhalla, that has given me a second chance, I am what you call an einherji. This is my friend Genofafa, she is a Valkyrie. I owe her my second life."

Genofafa stepped forward and smiled at her friend, "As my dear friend Ara had already said, I am Genofafa, I am a Valkyrie. Valkyries are similar to your hunters of Artemis, though we do not get killed if we fall in love. We have sworn ourselves to the All Father, otherwise known as Odin. I am a child of the Aesir, or tree folk."

When all of the demigods on stage were done introducing themselves there was a ripple of speech that washed over the crowd, though it was hushed soon after.

"Thank you for listening to us, I hope that you know that we do exist," Quinn said, taking charge, "We are starting a new camp, this camp will contain demigods of all different cultures, we will also be spreading the word of our existence to Salvador's camp. I hope you feel as though you have been informed of that missing part."

With that all of the members on stage disappeared to go finish what they had started.

**_ END OF ACT SIX _ **

_**CLOSED CURTAINS** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Readers,
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading this work! I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as much as Kat and I enjoyed writing it. As this is the first book in the series, it may have a few bumps and plot pits, but we tried to fix all of them.
> 
> I would like to give a big thanks to my personal beta, who helped us through all of this and pointed out that I was writing half of the characters wrong.
> 
> I would also like to point out that there will be a lot of books in this series, as I have adopted it as my new baby. I hope that after reading this, you go check out book two, which you can find somewhere on my page.
> 
> Kat and I spent almost a month on this story, she had some difficulty killing off one of the characters which is why you can see so much of my writing in the end and at the funeral.
> 
> She is an amazing author, I feel so honored that she wrote this series with me and has become such a close friend. Granted, most of our schedules did not correlate together and all of the long sections of one person that you see is because one of us had free time and ideas while the other did not.
> 
> The rules of this work were originally that we could only write one paragraph at a time, though you can see that this failed. Miserably.
> 
> I thank you again for reading this work, and I hope you will continue to read this series, for we will continue to put more books out.
> 
> Sincerely, Sissytobitch10seconds
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Dear Readers,
> 
> This was a really fun book to write with Sissytobitch10seconds, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading it! There may still be some problems but we did our best to fix all the ones we saw.
> 
> Special thanks to Sissytobitch10seconds for helping me with all the parts I didn't understand, and our special beta reader. This book took a long time to write but it was really fun the entire time. I don't like killing off characters, so that's why Sissytobitch10seconds did those parts.
> 
> There are more books to come, so watch for them! I love writing with Sissytobitch10seconds, especially these Percy Jackson fan fictions. My favorite character is, personally, Rio Wellton, though I love all the children of Janus.
> 
> We had originally decided that we'd each write one paragraph each, though as you can probably see that didn't work out. We made it work, though, and I personally think it's a good story line!
> 
> Thanks to Sissytobitch10seconds for the amazing story name! I could never have figured that out on my own, see, this is why I write with my friends. Haha.
> 
> Sincerely, Kat
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Dear Readers,
> 
> I absolutely loved this book, even though some things were kinda sudden, they were all very beautifully written. I only hope you enjoyed it half as much as I did ( :
> 
> I wish I was able to help write this, but, unfortunately, I was very busy and could not find the time, so I can settle for the beta. Maybe if I catch up, I'll be able to help with future books, but until then, I am perfectly happy to just read it.
> 
> I hope you guys will read the next book in this series, Hearts and Spades. I have not (Yet) but it is on my list of 'to do things.'
> 
> I also challenge you to finish it before me, in the end with the Author and Beta letters, I will write the date I finished. Just a fun challenge I think you guys would enjoy! Now, what are you waiting for? Don't be generous and give me a head start! Go read!!!!!
> 
> Sincerely, TimeTurner13


	17. (Elliot) Act Five, Scene Four

**Elliot sat on his bed and stared at the floor, not quite believing what he had seen and heard. Rio was going on a quest with two boys he seemed to know, without telling his siblings?**

**He must have said this out loud, because Madeline came over and sat down next to her younger half-brother, putting an arm around his skinny shoulders. Her eyes and nose were red from crying, but she just looked sad now. "He told me," she said, "and I tried to stop him, but he's sure he has to do this. I don't know why, but there must be a reason."**

**Elliot stared hard at the wall. "He didn't even talk to me," he whispered, "he just pushed past me. Ignored me. I...I need to think by myself for a while."**

**Madeline smiled softly and patted Elliot's white-blond hair, standing up from his bed. "All right," she said, "I'll go to the Big House for some snacks. Maybe that'll cheer you up?"**

**Elliot shrugged halfheartedly, watching his sister go. He wasn't about to say it to her, but he didn't feel very hungry. All he wanted was his two lost siblings back.**

"Elliot!" a male voice called from outside of the house. Elliot's head snapped over to look, his eyes widened as the child of Lilith that he had been looking for stood in the window.

"Quinn? Where were you?" Elliot asked as he ran over and hugged his best friend.

"My mother wanted to keep me for longer than I expected," Quinn said with a semi-comforting smile. "Can you do something for me?"

"Of course I can, what is it?" Elliot asked with a small smile.

"I need you to come with me. We need to follow your brother and his friends," Quinn said as he looked at Elliot with stern eyes.

**Elliot jumped up from his bed. "Finally, some action including me!" he shouted, "Of course I'll come. Where to?"**

**Quinn jumped inside the cabin and stared seriously at the younger boy. "I think I know where they're headed," he said, "but we'll need to follow them closely to make sure."**

**"I asked you, where?" Elliot asked, trying to sound polite. The child of Lilith could get really mad when someone was rude to him.**

**Quinn looked nervous. "Utah," he said, "near the Salt Lake area I think. Now come on, or we'll lose them!"**

**Elliot gasped. "Now?" he asked, frantically packing a knapsack with necessities, "Oh crap. Why didn't you just say so?"**

**Quinn rolled his eyes. "Finish packing fast and then get on my back," he said, "we're going to have to fly."**

_**END OF ACT FIVE** _


	18. (Rio) Act Five, Scene Two

**Rio was already bored, and he, Taka, and Salvador had just barely made it to the top of Half-Blood Hill. He decided to at least try to get the other two's spirits up, and hopefully his too.**

**"Okay, we're going to play a little game," Rio said, glancing over at his two friends, "it's a game I made up."**

**"What's it called?" Taka asked dully, brushing his black hair out of his eyes. Rio smirked. "You'll see," he said, not wanting to ruin this.**

**"Think of the saddest thing you can," he began. Taka and Salvador thought for a moment.**

**Taka said, "Got it," and Salvador nodded.**

**"Ditto," the son of Venus said. Rio smiled.**

**"Okay," he said, "now think of something sadder."**

**Silence for a moment. Then, "All right," from both of his friends simultaneously. Rio fought back a giggle.**

**"Now add a tomato!" he cackled, and all three friends cracked up. "I was _not_ expecting that!" sniggered Salvador. Taka agreed.**

**"Let's play again!" he exclaimed. Rio grinned. His plan to cheer all three of them up was successful!**

**"Think of the most embarrassing thing you can," said the Japanese half-blood. Rio and Salvador complied, Salvador actually blushing a little as he thought.**

**"Done," the two boys said at the same time. Taka giggled a little. "Now think of something more embarrassing," he said.**

**After Rio and Salvador had thought for a moment, they chorused, "Ready."**

**"Now add a tomato!" squealed Taka, trying not to laugh full-on. He failed miserably when the other two boys burst out laughing.**

**"Holy Jupiter, that's hilarious," said Salvador after the three teenagers had stopped giggling, "I could do that for hours. My turn?"**

**Rio smiled. "Go ahead," he told his Roman friend with a playful punch on the arm.**

The trio continued to play this game until they were all out of breath. Taka stopped a moment and then yelled, "Duck!" Everyone bent down and covered their heads. Taka laughed as he pointed out an actual duck.

Salvadore sighed in relief and then burst out laughing, "You scared us Taka!"

Rio giggled and pulled both of them over to another part of the path, a giant semi-truck then drove by, splashing water all over the thirteen-year-old boys. Rio shuddered and watched as three apparitions of them got run over by said truck.

"So where are we going?" Salvador asked with a frown.

"One moment," Taka said as he raised one hand in the air to silence them, "Kita no kaze, watashi ni dai dai 4 rinku o mitsukeru koto ga yo ni watahi ni un o ataeru," the Japanese boy chanted. A gush of wind blew and made them all shiver.

"So Taka," Salvador said once the winds had calmed down, "where is this fourth kid?"

"Utah," Taka said. Rio's eyes widened in confusion, but he followed after his friends anyway.

 


	19. (Elliot) Act Four, Scene One

**Elliot's mismatched eyes slid open. For a second he thought he was in his bed, but then he noticed sky above him and a cool breeze playing through his white-blond hair. The twelve-year-old camper tried to sit up to better see his surroundings, but a pair of cool, gentle hands pushed him back down. A quiet girl's voice said, "Elliot, isn't it?"**

**Elliot tried to answer, but all that came out of his mouth was a groan. The girl (Elliot couldn't see her face) chuckled slightly. "It's okay, Elliot," she said, "you're fine. Safe. And hopefully yourself again." she chuckled again, a dry sound. "Because if I had to hear another swear word out of your mouth I'd drop dead."**

**Elliot blinked, stunned. He'd been in _that_ mode? He couldn't remember anything in the past couple of hours. He opened his mouth to say something.**

**"Unnnnhmmmgh," he managed. The girl bent over him, concerned, and Elliot could finally see her face.**

**She had shiny dark hair in a pixie cut and soft brown eyes. Her smile was concerned and vaguely sad, though Elliot didn't know why. He blinked at the girl, unable to do much more.**

**The girl smiled her strange, sad smile again. "I'm Hanna Frank. Daughter of Apollo. My mom's Danish but I'm from the States myself. I'm fourteen years old, this is my third year at camp."**

**Elliot gave her a questioning look, and she shrugged. "Thought you might want to know the specifics, little man," she said with a wink, "you look like a curious kid. You're twelve, right? Do all the Romans do that weird fine and then swearing thing?"**

**Elliot shook his head as best he could, wondering why he'd never noticed this chatty Apollo girl before. Now that he thought about it, Hanna wore bright clothing and neon orange glasses. He was even more confused. Did she have a cap of invisibility, like Annabeth, or something? She seemed to like attention, which didn't make any sense either.**

**"Hanna, lay off the poor kid," said a boy's voice, "you're talking his ear off, and he's only just woken up. Go practice sword fighting or something, will you? I'll take over."**

**Hanna reluctantly stood up and walked away. A familiar face replaced her, and Elliot managed a smile. "Hey, Will," he tried to say, but all that came out of his mouth was "Ungh."**

**Will Solace smiled slightly and looked closer at Elliot. He smoothed a sticking-up lock of the twelve-year-old's hair, which was still a little bit damp from his earlier shower.**

"Would you mind explaining to me why you and your siblings were acting like that?" Will asked as he dried his hands off with a towel.

Elliot frowned. "We all have MPD, and those were our worst personalities. Ara's death took a large toll on us," Elliot explained with a shrug.

**Will's expression became thoughtful. "Well," he said, "for one thing, I'm glad you can actually say stuff again, and for another, why didn't you just tell us about your MPD when you first got here?"**

**Elliot shrugged again. "I guess we were worried about people laughing at us," he said, "or acting weird and pitying. We can take care of ourselves."**

**"Like you took care of yourselves earlier?" Will asked skeptically. Elliot sighed.**

**"Okay," he said, "pretty sure that was a one-time thing. All of us succumbing to our worst personalities at once? That doesn't usually happen."**

Madeline sat up with a groan, "What on Olympus happened to us?" she asked as she pulled her bubble-gum pink hair out of her multicolored eyes.

"I- oh Gods," Rio swore as he puked next to the side of his bed, though there was next to nothing in his stomach so it was close to a dry-heave.

**"Are you okay, Rio?" Will asked, turning to face the thirteen-year-old, "you were pretty deep in that personality."**

**Rio took a shaky breath and ran his fingers through his red hair. "I don't know yet," he managed, "I feel kind of sick."**

**Madeline scowled, though she looked a bit sick herself. "I repeat," she said, sounding peeved, "what on Olympus happened to us?"**

**Elliot tried to sit up and immediately regretted it, following his brother's example and dry-heaving over the side of his narrow bed. Will patted him on the shoulder and turned to Madeline. " _You_ were acting like a four-year-old, Madeline," he said, "saying something about leaf piles."**

**Madeline went even paler and clutched her stomach. "MPD," she muttered, "oh my gods, I'm sorry. It's shock and grief."**

"Elliot told me earlier that this was triggered because of the loss of Ara, is that correct?" Will half asked, half stated. A tall boy then entered the tent.

"Madeline? Are you okay?" the older girl's boyfriend asked from the doorway. Nora sat up with a gasp and began to rock back and forth in her bed. Rio stood up and walked over to his younger sister, leaving the older one to deal with Fred alone.

Elliot stood and bolted out of the tent, only barely keeping what was in his stomach down. He ran for his spot in the woods, where he knew that _he_ would be there.

 


	20. (Elliot) Act Four, Scene Two

Elliot squealed as Quinn used his shadow magic to lift them into the air. Elliot wrapped his arms around the taller boy and smiled into him. something he only did when he was with Quinn.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asked looking down at his friend. Elliot giggled happily and nodded. The two flew through the air for ten minutes before Quinn found a cloud, "Do you want to go cloudbusting?"

"Yes! We haven't done that since Christmas!" Elliot yelled as he and Quinn headed for the fluffy white cloud. As they landed on it, Elliot fell back and sighed as he rolled into the comfort of the water vapor.

**The two of them flew through the cloud and Elliot shook the droplets out of his hair, grinning widely. "Do another one, Quinn!" he shouted up at his friend, who laughed and headed for another cloud.**

**All too soon, the ride was over and Elliot was dropped safely to the ground.**

**"Come back tomorrow?" Elliot asked his friend hopefully as Quinn prepared to leave, "I'm lonely."**

**"Don't you have your siblings?" the child of Lilith asked in surprise. Elliot nodded. "Yeah," he said, "but they're usually busy."**

**Quinn thought for a moment. "Perhaps," he said, "I'm kind of busy at the moment, too, but I'll try, Elliot, I promise." he looked into Elliot's eyes with earnest. Elliot nodded and waved to his friend as Quinn turned back into a shaft of light and disappeared.**

Elliot headed back to his cabin with his disappearing friend in his mind. As he emerged from the thicket, he saw that Nora was waiting patiently on a rock for something. "Hello, big brother. What are you doing?" She asked with a small smile.

**Elliot smiled sheepishly. "Nothing," he said, "feeling better?"**

**"Yep. You?"**

**Elliot nodded. In fact, he wasn't feeling like he was going to puke anymore. "How're the others?" he asked Nora.**

**The nine-year-old shrugged, half-smiling. "So-so," she said, cocking her head, "Rio's still dry-heaving. Will brought him back to bed."**

**"And Madeline?"**

**Nora shrugged again. "She's talking with Fred. It's hard to say how she feels, but she still looks a little pale. She's not throwing up anything, though." she giggled. "Like she would with her _boyfriend_ at her side."**

**Elliot giggled, too. It sounded like the Janus kids would be teasing Madeline about her _boyfriend_ for the rest of her life.**

**"Come on," Elliot said, taking his half-sister's hand and helping her to her feet, "let's get back and check on Madeline and Rio."**

**Nora smiled, and the two half-siblings started walking back towards the Apollo cabin.**

 


	21. (Rio) Act Four, Scene Three

**Rio was feeling absolutely terrible. He couldn't keep any kind of food down, and Will Solace had worriedly told him he'd have to at least stay the night. Rio was okay with that, though, as long as he got better.**

**Another son of Apollo, Colin Pine, who was relatively new to camp, was trying to feed ambrosia and nectar to Rio without the redhead bringing them back up again. Colin was smiling faintly, but Rio was miserable.**

**Finally, after many tries, Rio managed to keep a tiny bit of nectar in his stomach, which immediately started to feel a little better. Colin then fed him a nibble of ambrosia, which stayed down too, and then a little bit more nectar. Rio managed not to throw up for about five minutes, which was something of a record in his mind.**

After what seemed like forever, he finally was let go from the infirmary after Will made certain that he would not vomit again. Rio walked over to the pine tree that used to be the daughter of Zeus, Thalia Grace. As he sat down at its base, he saw two figures running hand in hand.

He jumped up to see that it was his old friends from back before he found out that he was a demigod. "Taka? Salvador? What on Olympus are you two doing here?" the confused child of Janus asked in bewilderment.

**Salvador and Taka, a strange pair, collapsed on the top of Half-Blood Hill, panting. They were both bruised and scratched in places.**

**Taka brushed off his jeans and stared at Rio frantically, his dark eyes full of fear. He started shouting rapidly in Japanese. Salvador rolled his startlingly blue eyes and punched the Japanese boy in the shoulder. "English, Taka," the handsome boy warned.**

**Rio blinked. "Wait a sec," he said, "how did you make it up here? You're mor--" he covered his mouth to keep from saying the word fully, afraid he'd give things away. Taka wiped sweat from his brow and smiled grimly.**

**"No, Rio," he said in slightly accented English, "I'm not a mortal. I am a river spirit. Meaning that I can enter the camp."**

**Rio blinked again. "You're kidding, right?" he asked incredulously.**

**"Of course not," Taka said with a blank face.**

**Rio was seriously confused now. "Um," he managed to say, "so who's your godly parent, Taka?"**

**"I have no godly parent. Though I serve under Lady Bishamonten," the Japanese boy said promptly, "the Guardian of the North. She is also one of the seven gods of luck." he winked at Rio. "Which makes me lucky."**

**"Oh," Rio said, kind of confused, "If you're that powerful then how did we not get chased by monsters as little kids?"**

**"That was Taka's doing," Salvador said proudly, gesturing to his friend.**

**"I placed wards on our school and our homes," Taka explained with a small blush.**

**The spirit suddenly whimpered and glanced backwards. Rio stood up with the aid of Thalia's tree. "What's chasing you?" he whispered, his eyes widening. Taka glanced backward again. "Remember," he said, "names are powerful."**

**Rio scowled. "Just freaking tell me already!" he growled.**

"It looks like a phoenix, but is made of water," Salvador explained with his hands. He then grabbed Taka and Rio and pulled them to the other side of the tree.

Taka muttered a curse in Japanese, there was a shout from what must have been a bird, and Salvador let both of them go. "Care to explain why you're at Camp Half-Blood?" Rio asked as he began to drag his two friends down to the Big House. "Aren't you supposed be with the third Cohort back home?" he said, gesturing to Salvador

"I was exiled from the Roman camp for 'cavorting with the enemy'. And Taka doesn't have a camp. The Japanese spirits are too good at magic to need protection of others. It doesn't help that if they are different types of spirits then they don't get along very well," The black-haired Roman boy explained.

Taka placed a hand on his hip, said hand then disappeared within the folds of his work kimono. "Does that mean you think I'm weak?" he asked with an offended tone.

"No it means that I was weak and you were bored," Salvador explained with a much too sweet smile.


	22. (Rio) Act Four, Scene Four

Taka sat on his legs with his hands in his lap. Salvador was sitting on Rio's bed. Rio had managed to clear all of his siblings out of the cabin. He sat on his bed and took a deep breath before he turned to the two other males.

"Why are you two here?" Rio asked with a pensive look on his face.

Taka shifted his hands so that they were pulled out of his kimono, "There are four of us, though we are divided. Salvador and I are connected to each other. Hakizimana, the missing link and you are connected to each other. We are all connected. I do not know why some of your other siblings were chosen as well, but I know that there is one more member of our group that we need to find." Taka said, explaining with his hands along the way.

"Who am I linked to again?" Rio asked as he slid onto the floor to be at the same level as his friends.

"Do you remember back when we were in grade school and then the first year of Middle School?" Salvadore asked as he moved his long black hair away from his eyes.

Rio nodded and Taka began to play with his kimono hem. "Do you remember Hakizimana? The little Egyptian boy?" Taka asked.

"Was he a demigod as well?" Rio asked as he began to rub his temples.

"Not exactly," Taka began to explain, "the Egyptian gods really should not have children. He is a magician.

"And we need your help to find him," Salvador said with finality in his voice. Rio sighed and got off of the floor. He walked towards the door and motioned for the other boys to follow him.

Once they were all outside, Rio noticed that his half brother, Elliot, was walking out of the forest with water droplets in his hair. Rio shook it off as nothing and continued his way to the big house.

When they were finally at the large house, Taka had nearly fallen over fifteen rocks, and scared all the campers by making the sixteenth one blow up. "Rio, at least tell us what you're doing!" Salvador yelled as he ran alongside his best friend.

"We're going to get a quest from Chiron," Rio explained as he continued on his way. The troupe of thirteen-year-olds walked onto the porch and Rio marched over to the door and knocked sharply.

The door opened and Rio felt himself shrink back as the majestic centaur rose to his full height outside of the house. Chiron smiled and leaned down so that he could talk to Rio, "Rio, what do you need?"

Rio gulped and then stood up straight, "I need a quest."

"Whatever for, boy?" Chiron asked.

"My friends are from different mythologies," Rio began to explain, "Salvador is Roman, like me, and Taka is Japanese. They both told me that all of the mythologies are connected to a certain Janus kid. I am connected to another who we need to go on a quest to find."

Taka shifted nervously in the background, and Salvador had a hip popped out to the side as he listened to Rio. Chiron nodded and then reluctantly issued them with a quest. The trio then ran back down to the Janus cabin with bright smiles on their faces.

As Rio began to pack for the journey, Madeline reentered the cabin. She looked at Taka and laughed a little bit, "Hey lil' bro, are these your friends? This one looks like something out of _Spirited Away_ ," she said as she jabbed her thumb at Taka.

Rio rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, these are my friends. Taka, Salvador, this is my older half sister, Madeline."

"Why are you packing?" Madeline asked with concern laced into her words.

"I'm going on a quest," Rio said as he averted his eyes from her saddened stare.

"Rio! No, I just lost Ara, I can't lose you too!" Madeline shouted as she moved over to her younger brother.

"I'll be fine Maddie, just trust me okay?" Rio said as he stood up and hugged his older sister.

 


	23. (Elliot) Act Five, Scene One

Elliot ran from the cabin to the grotto. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. Elliot had no idea how he knew, he just knew. As he ran, he could hear Madeline crying in the cabin, and Nora trying to comfort her.

When he finally got to the small gathering of trees, he was out of breath and covered in sweat. "Quinn! Where are you?" He shouted into the always night sky of the grotto. **There was no answer. Elliot's face crumpled in despair, and he called again desperately. "Quinn!"**

**No sound but crickets chirping. Elliot stomped his foot, angry at everyone. Where was the child of Lilith when Elliot needed him? And Rio. Where was Rio? Elliot hadn't seen his half-brother in a while, and he had a bad feeling when he thought of him.**

**Elliot waited for five minutes without seeing a trace of his Celtic friend. Then, anger boiling in his gut, he stomped out of the wooded hollow in a towering temper. _Fine_. If no one was there to help him, he would have to do things himself. No more asking aid of his siblings and friends. Elliot had had enough of that.**

**Suddenly he looked up and saw three figures exiting the Janus cabin. All three were wearing backpacks and duffel bags slung over their shoulders. One wore what looked like a robe, and the other two wore jeans and T-shirts. Elliot knew only one of them: the boy with striking red hair and an purple Camp Jupiter T-shirt. Rio!**

**Elliot stopped in his tracks. Where was Rio going with these two unknown kids, towing bags like they were going on a trip?**

**_Going on a trip_. Elliot's eyes widened. Of course! But quests were so rare and hard to come by. How had Rio gotten clearance for one on such short notice? It didn't make sense, and yet...it looked real enough. Elliot gasped and dashed toward his brother madly.**

**He intercepted the redheaded boy and his friends about midway between the Janus cabin and Half-Blood Hill. Rio looked worried and grim, and his companions looked fearful. The one that Elliot had thought was wearing a robe was Japanese and his garment was actually a kimono, simple and rather drab. The other kid looked really handsome, almost like a child of Aphrodite. Both of Rio's friends had black hair.**

**The Japanese kid started speaking rapidly in his home country's language. The black-haired pretty kid next to him punched him in the arm and muttered something about how Elliot probably didn't understand Japanese. Elliot didn't pay much attention to these two, though; both of his bicolored eyes were fixed on Rio. "Where...you going?" Elliot panted. Rio shouldered past his half-brother and marched forward stubbornly without answering. The two dark-haired half-bloods (at least, Elliot assumed they were half-bloods) followed close behind.**

**"Salvador, we won't have to actually _go_ to Egypt, will we?" Rio asked when he thought they were out of hearing range of Elliot, "That would be a long way, and none of us are old enough to drive. And I don't think Jupiter would be too happy with us flying, but I don't know."**

**Unfortunately, Elliot heard every word of this casual sentence. It also gave him a truckload of information. First of all: one of Rio's companions was named Salvador, which Elliot thought must be a Italian name. Second of all: there was something about the way Rio said 'actually _go_ to Egypt' that made Elliot think this quest must have something to do with an Egyptian of some sort.**

**The boy named Salvador snorted and rolled his eyes. "Of course not, Rio," he said, "we didn't go to school in Egypt, did we? Hakizimana is in the States."**

**"Right, just checking," Rio said absently as he squinted at Half-Blood Hill and Thalia's tree, shading his eyes from the sun.**

**Elliot watched helplessly as the three thirteen-year-old half-bloods started trudging up the hill, then hung his head and walked back to the Janus cabin dejectedly. Rio was going to die out there, Elliot knew it.**


	24. (Ara) Act Five, Scene Three

Ara looked at the blinding light that was wrapped around her. A gentle, much too thin hand was extended to her. She took it and then the light became even more intense.

When she reopened her eyes, she was standing on the lawn of a giant hotel-like building. "Wh-what is this place?" She asked as she began to walk towards the building. She entered the door that was outlined with gold.

"Welcome, to Hotel Valhalla!" a man said from behind a desk. Ara jumped back and her face blanched. She ran up to the desk and placed her hands flat on the polished wood.

"Where is lead Valkyrie, Genofafa Corona?" She asked quickly, her words almost slurred together with panic.

"You will see her later, at diner," The man behind the desk said. She growled and split into two different people.

"That's too long of a wait, tell me where she is now!" both Aras said with anger. A large sum of the people that were lounging around in the lobby turned and stared.

"Calm down," a calm voice came from behind them, Ara melted back into one and turned around.

"Genofafa," she shouted as she ran to her best friend, "I am so, so sorry. I never should have said that!"

Genofafa wrapped her arms around her friend and then brought them both to Ara's room.

**There was a mirror on one blue-painted wall. Ara looked away, scared of what she might see there, but Genofafa placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Go ahead," she said softly, a kind twinkle in her milky-white eyes. Ara bit her lip and looked. What she saw made her gasp.**

"I'm just fine," she said as she touched her face, "My eyes are still there and everything!"

"You no longer have the chance to swear yourself to the All Father, in the way that I have. When I was alive at least." Genofafa turned the now dead girl, and hugged her. "I am so sorry for what had to happen to you."

There was a thump on the door and muffled arguing coming from the outside. Genofafa rolled her eyes and walked over to the door, she pulled it open and four teenagers spilled in.

"Sam! How many times do I need to tell you to keep an eye on your einherjar?" Genofafa yelled down the hall. There was a girl with frizzy red hair that then stood up and took a classic, Viking looking man's hand and ran down the hall.

**Genofafa sighed and shepherded the two leftover teenagers out of Ara's room, looking irritated. She then practically slammed the door, her wings fluttering in her anger. "Those _kids_!" she said with a half-smile, shaking her head. Ara just blinked at her friend, unsure what that was all about. **

Genofafa looked at her watch and then gasped, "We must be off, you simply cannot be late to your first dinner!" Ara followed as the eager Valkyrie pulled her to the elevator.

After a while in the elevator they ended up a large dining hall. Everyone had food on their plates, and some sort of strong smelling liquor in their cups. The only empty spot was right next to those obnoxious teenagers that had been listening outside of her room.

As they sat down, Ara made a sour face at the cup in front of her, "Do not worry, it is not actual alcohol, they save that for the legal ones," Genofafa said into her ear.

**Ara sniffed the drink and wrinkled her nose at the smell. "What _is_ it, then?" she asked her Valkyrie friend in disgust, trying to ignore the teenage boy sitting next to her. **

"It's mead. The cooks have taken all of the alcoholic content out of it though," Genofafa explained with a smile. Ara looked over at the front of the room. There was a row of thrones, all of which remained empty.

A rather ugly looking Valkyrie walked to the center of the table and pulled down a huge screen, then she took out a scroll, "Genofafa," she called out.

The Valkyrie took a deep breath and then stood, taking Ara's hand and dragging her over to the front of the room, "Einherjar of Valhalla, I present to you Ara Conanak."

Ara's eyes widened and she pushed back the urge to split into two different people. "Please show the footage," the ugly Valkyrie said. Suddenly color burst forth onto the large screen. Ara watched herself die with confusion all over her face.

"What is going on?" she asked Genofafa.

"Right now, the people over there," she said pointing towards the elderly men in the corner, "are judging to see if you are worthy of being an einherjar."

Ara hummed and then looked back at the screen, frowning as she saw Madeline burst into tears. "We have gone through her reports," said one of the wrinkled old men in the corner, "and we have denounced that she is indeed worthy of being an einherjar."


	25. (Rio) Act Six, Scene One

**Rio and his friends had started to get bored again, so they'd restarted their initial game of Add A Tomato. By the time they reached the main road to Utah, they were laughing so hard they were crying.**

Rio sighed and tried to nurse his aching ribs with his arm, "Guys, I think we're almost there!" Taka said as another blast of freezing air shot past them.

Salvador sighed and then pinned his bangs up with a Hello Kitty barrette. Rio and Taka snickered at this and they continued on the way.

Once the trio had made it over the mountain pass, they had to stop for a moment and gaze at the sight of the hidden valley that lay before them. Rio gaped for a few more minutes before Taka pulled him down the hill with Salvador in the lead.

**The three boys were silent for a while, but when they'd been staring for a bit Taka started up the game again. "Think of something amazing," he said, "really amazing."**

**"Okay," said Rio and Salvador immediately, "got it."**

**"Now think of something even more amazing."**

**"Yep," said the other two boys in unison.**

**"Now add a tomato."**

**The boys tittered slightly, but they were too awed by this valley to do much more than that.**

Taka finally sighed and muttered a spell before grabbing both of the other boys' hands. After a near blinding flash of light, they were in the valley below, standing in front of what looked like a rather old, beaten up house.

"Does Hakizimana really live here?" Taka asked with a frown.

"I don't know, you brought us here," Rio snarked playfully.

"Calm down ladies, we should just go inside and check," Salvador teased further.

"What are you checking for?" an impossibly familiar voice asked from behind them.

Rio gasped and turned. Behind the trio of boys stood his previously deceased sister.

"Ara?" he gasped. She had a single tear slipping down her cheek as she rushed over to her brother. They wrapped their arms around each other in a display of sibling love.

"I'm sorry," Ara apologized.

"Don't apologize, I saw what mightn't happened," Rio said as he stroked her back comfortingly.

**Taka sniffled slightly and smiled. "Think of the most touching moment you've ever seen," he murmured to Salvador, "and think of something even more touching."**

**Salvador wiped a tear from his face. "Okay," he said, waiting for the tomato punchline, but instead Taka said, "and this is that second one."**

**Salvador smiled, relieved that Taka hadn't ruined the moment.**

Suddenly two young boys dropped out of the sky. Dark magic went everywhere, causing Taka to near scream out a protection spell. Elliot stepped off of Quinn. "Ara?" he asked.

When he saw that it was indeed his sister, he ran over and started sobbing as he hugged his sister.

**Ara was crying in earnest now, holding both her half-brothers close in a group hug. Taka and Salvador stood off to the side awkwardly.**

**After a second, Taka rolled his dark eyes. "Okay, whatever," he muttered, then launched himself into the hug, wanting to be a part of the joy. Salvador sighed and muttered a curse, then reluctantly walked over and joined the embrace, too. The Janus kids didn't seem to mind, however; they included Rio's two friends with smiles and open arms, literally.**

**After a couple minutes of hugging and crying, the kids all broke apart. Ara looked a little sad. "I can't stay for long," she said with a sigh, "I have to get back to Valhalla. I'm still dead, you know. I just came to visit you guys."**

**A single tear dripped down Rio's cheek. "Can you visit again soon?" he asked hopefully, wiping the tear away embarrassingly. Ara shrugged. "Maybe," she said, "but for now I have to get back. Good luck with Hakizimana!"**

**And with that, she disappeared.**

**Elliot gave his brother a long look. "I take it I can't come with you?" he asked sadly. Rio sighed and nodded. "Sorry, Elliot," he said, hugging the younger boy, "but this is a quest you didn't sign up for."**

**"Percy Jackson went on a quest he didn't sign up for!" Elliot protested. Rio shook his head. "He did," he said, "and two of his friends died. Get my drift?"**

**Elliot hung his head. Rio felt bad, but he knew what had to happen. Elliot shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out two small bottles, shoving them into his brother's hand. "You forgot your medications," he said, and ran back over to the other young boy, who hadn't moved or spoken at all during this time. The mystery boy picked up Elliot and the two kids shot up into the air with a spray of dark magic.**

**Rio stared at the two bottles in his hand. Antidepressants and MPD medicine. It was a good thing Elliot had brought them, or Rio would have been doomed. At least, that's what Rio thought.**

**The three thirteen-year-old's started walking towards the old house again. When they were about ten feet from the entrance, Taka stopped dead. His dark eyes widened. "Stop," he told his friends urgently, "Stop. I sense magic around this house."**

**Rio and Salvador stopped and looked questioningly at the Japanese boy. Taka looked terrified. "Magic...by a fellow magician," he murmured, then cursed in Japanese.**

**"What?" Rio was starting to get scared now. If Taka was afraid, something was seriously wrong. Salvador shifted from foot to foot, clearly nervous. Taka bit his lip.**

**"I can't go in there by myself," he said, "come with me. Please."**

**Rio and Salvador had no clue what the Japanese kid was frightened of, but they each took one of their friend's arms and stepped forward. Taka paled slightly, but when Rio and Salvador stopped, he whispered, "No, go on."**

**The three boys stepped forward again. Taka winced. "I don't know what's going on with me," he muttered, "keep going, guys."**

**Another step. The Japanese mage groaned. "I'll be fine," he told his friends as they gave him identical concerned looks, "just keep walking. Don't hesitate."**

**Rio was uncertain, but he kept walking forward anyway. The three of them were almost at Hakizimana's house now, but Taka looked sick. Neither Salvador or Rio knew what was wrong with their friend, but Taka kept telling them he was fine and to keep going.**

By the time that they had finally gotten up to the house, Taka was breathing hard and placing ward signs all over. "Are you sure that you're going to be okay?" Rio asked with a great amount of concern laced into his voice.

"Yes, the magic that this house radiates is like, sendama," Taka said, switching to Japanese half way through. Salvador and Rio exchanged glances and then carried on.

Rio took a deep breath before he knocked on the door to the old house. The door opened, no creak, not even slowly. It just swung open as if someone had been directly on the other side, Taka shuddered as he saw a glowing pink hieroglyph appear on the door. "Can I help you?" a boy asked.

"Are you Hakizimana?" Salvador asked as he placed a hand across Taka's shoulder, supporting the Japanese boy.

"What is it to you?" Hakizimana asked from the threshold of the house.

"Salvador and I," Rio said gesturing to the other male, that was entirely conscious, "as well as Taka, we all went to middle school, and elementary school together."

Hakizimana opened the door a little farther and motioned for them to go on, "All of us are linked from our mythologies. Taka and I are linked while you and Rio are linked." Salvador said, jumping in.

"The three-four of us are linked in some way, we need you to help us," Taka said half way from being entirely unconscious.

Hakizimana hummed and then moved out of his house, standing next to the railing that was coated in rust. "Where do I need to go with you to?" he asked as he popped a hip out.

"You need to come with us Camp Half-Blood. Seeing as I got kicked out of Camp Jupiter, and the Japanese are strong enough to take care of themselves, it seems like the most reasonable place to start," Salvador said with a small frown.

Hakizimana smiled and said, "Of course I'll go with you, why would I deny old friends?"

With that Taka seemed to gain most of his strength back, he muttered a spell and they were all engulfed by a blinding white light.


End file.
